When senior Chinese official Xi Jinping visited New Zealand’s Parliament House last Friday, New Zealand's Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman displayed a Tibetan Flag, and shouted “Freedom for Tibet.” 

Chinese security officials then blocked Norman with an umbrella while another Chinese delegate grabbed the flag, and threw it to the ground.

[Russel Norma, Co Leader, Green Party]:
"’Cos I mean the Chinese security guards, they elbowed me out of their way and then they put an umbrella over the top of me and then they took the flag off my hands and trampled on it.”

Norman told the Chinese delegation that they could not suppress freedom of speech in New Zealand.

Green Party spokesman Keith Locke commented on the incident.

[Keith Locke, Spokesman, Green Party]:
“It’s not acceptable that the Chinese government is bringing its undemocratic and oppressive practices to this country.”

Local media reported on Monday that Prime Minister John Key had apologized to a member of the Chinese delegation after the incident.  Norman said in a letter to the House Speaker on the same day that the apology is “degrading.”

Norman is urging Key to stand up for freedom and democracy and to ensure future foreign dignitaries are told about the country’s right to peaceful protest.

Xi Jinping, who is now in Australia, avoided other outings in New Zealand after the incident.